Where does “animaletto” come from?

animaletto (Italian) comes from Italian animale, from Spanish animal, from Latin animal, from Latin animālis, from Latin anima, from Latin animus, from Proto-Italic anamos, from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁mos — to breathe.

animaletto (Italian): little or young animal (or representation or model of an animal)

Definitions

  1. little or young animal (or representation or model of an animal)

Ancestry of “animaletto”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Italiananimaleanimal; beast
2Spanishanimalanimal
3Latinanimalanimal; living creature
4Latinanimālisanimate, living
5Latinanimasoul, spirit, life; air, breeze; breath
6LatinanimusThat life-giving aspect which animates: life...
7Proto-Italicanamosbreath; spirit, soul, life force
8Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enh₁mosbreath
9Proto-Indo-Europeanh₂enh₁-to breathe
Every word from Proto-Indo-European h₂enh₁-